Lawrence Police To Crack Down On Drunk Driving During Holidays

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ — Lawrence Township police will be on the lookout for impaired drivers as part of the year-end Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over statewide campaign, police announced on Monday. They received a $5,500 grant to participate in the campaign.

The campaign will run from Dec. 6, 2019, until Jan. 1, 2020. Police will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints as they look for intoxicated drivers.

The goal of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” effort is to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of high-visibility enforcement and public education.

“During the last five years New Jersey has experienced nearly 37,000 alcohol involved crashes resulting in more than 679 fatalities,” Lawrence Township Police Lt. Joseph Amodio said. “This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when social gatherings with alcohol increase the risk of impaired driving.”

Last year, 20% of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related, police said. Nationally, 10,511 people died in 2018 in drunk driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $44 billion annually.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2019 Year End Holiday Crackdown offer the following advice for the holiday season:

• Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity or party is held.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
• Always buckle-up, every ride. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.

• If you are intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive or escort you to your doorstep.
• Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.